FT LAUDERDALE, FL
The following abstracts were presented orally during the 2011
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) Clinical
Laboratory Educators' Conference February 17-21, 2011. Abstracts
are reviewed by an Abstract Review Committee composed of appropriate
representatives of the ASCLS Educational Scientific Assembly. They are
the final authority in selecting or rejecting an abstract.
Advanced Cognitive and Psychomotor Objectives for a New MHS-CLS
Curriculum
Barbara Russell, EdD, MT(ASCP)SH, Lester Pretlow, PhD, C(ASCP),
Barbara Kraj, MS, MLS(ASCP)[CM], Anne Ranne, MS, MT(ASCP), Georgia
Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA
Advanced cognitive and psychomotor instructional objectives were
developed for an entry level Masters of Health Science in Clinical
Laboratory Science (MHS-CLS) program launched in fall 2008. Students in
the program must meet the criteria for obtaining a graduate degree by
developing, working on and presenting an Institutional Review Board
approved research project completed in a sequence of several
MHS-specific courses. As future entry level professionals they
participate in lectures, laboratories and internships with BS-CLS
students to achieve goals outlined by foundational objectives. MHS-CLS
students perform additional activities to develop advanced competencies
consistent with graduate level education for an anticipated role and
rapid promotion upon hire. These competencies contribute 20 percent to
the final grade in each course and are delineated by advanced cognitive
and psychomotor objectives. All students enrolled in the new program
have successfully completed the activities designed to fulfill these
objectives. Program Director and faculty will share the examples of
these activities in Clinical Hematology, Chemistry and Molecular Methods
courses and their experience in instructional delivery of the advanced
objectives during the first year of the new curriculum. The new MHS-CLS
students graduated in May 2010 and have just started entering the
workforce. Specific outcomes referring to the increased abilities of
these practitioners are not yet available. There has been informal
feedback from clinical sites implying their superior skills. A formal
research project will be conducted to determine the associations between
specific advanced curricular objectives and increased skills of MHS
graduates when more students complete the program.
Approaches to Assisting ESL Students in CLT/MLT Programs
Robin G. Krefetz, MEd, MLS(ASCP), Lynn C. Schaaf, MS MT(ASCP),
Community College of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Our NAACLS accredited associate degree CLT Program has seen a
significant increase in English as a Second Language (ESL) students in
the last 5 years. Our graduating class of 2010 was approximately 70% ESL
students. All had completed the required ESL classes and required
English writing classes prior to or during their program. While these
students had excellent attendance and a good work ethic, many still
struggled with oral communication with patients and clinical supervisors
and to complete exams in the allotted timeframe. We wanted to know if
other similar programs had increased enrollment of ESL students and if
so, what they found to be advantageous strategies to assist these
students in being successful. A survey was conducted of all NAACLS
accredited associate degree CLT/MLT programs to determine if our program
was unusual or typical. The survey results were from programs from all
parts of the country with most programs being housed in Community
Colleges. The results clearly show increased enrollment of ESL students
is a national trend and that Colleges are not providing enough services
to assist these students. Many suggestions were given for program
directors and faculty to implement to enhance the success of these
students. These approaches and ideas will be presented. CLT and English
faculty at our College are now working in tandem to develop strategies
to increase the success of ESL students in the CLT Program.
Clinical Chemistry Student Laboratories: Getting Students to Think
Beyond a Set of Steps
Janelle M. Chiasera, PhD, Brianna Miller, MS, The University of
Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Rapid advances in technology and automation have transformed the
practice of clinical chemistry. With fully automated robotic systems,
interconnected instrumentation, and on-board applications such as
autoverification, the role of the clinical chemistry technologist has
evolved to one focused on critical thinking and trouble-shooting. While
such advances have transformed the clinical practice of chemistry, the
education of students in clinical laboratory science programs has not
progressed as quickly. Consequently, there appears to be a disconnect
between student laboratories and the real world practice of chemistry.
To attempt to bridge the gap, we have developed a clinical chemistry
laboratory teaching method that provides students an opportunity to
apply critical thinking and troubleshooting skills to weekly chemistry
laboratories. Students are divided into groups, presented with a patient
history, and perform chemistry analyses on samples related to their
assigned patient on a weekly basis. At completion of the course, each
group of students has a complete laboratory report for their patient
containing both concordant and discordant data. Twice during the
semester, students are required to develop and deliver oral
presentations describing their case history, the data collected, a
hypothesized and final diagnosis, and are expected to explain concordant
and discordant data. This method of instruction promotes critical
thinking and troubleshooting skills, engages students more fully into
the laboratory experience, and builds a strong base of interpersonal
skills.
Communicating and Understanding Laboratory Test Results: What
Matters?
Joan L. Boyd, PhD, Department of Health Professions; John M. Hazy,
PhD, Department of Criminal Justice; Salvatore Sanders, PhD, Department
of Health Professions, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH
Background: This is the first known investigation to identify
specific patient characteristics and the relationship to their
understanding of laboratory test results. Studies have shown that
patients may not understand the information from their physician's
reports or how it relates to their condition.
Purpose: The study was to examine patient characteristics
influencing their level of understanding of laboratory test results
reported to them by physicians or health care professionals. It was also
conducted to determine demographics and to test the following
hypothesis: 1) certain patient characteristics matter when assessing
their perceived knowledge of laboratory tests. 2) patients who
understand the relationship between their test results and their
conditions are more likely to be satisfied with the health care system.
Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to 143 patients who had
previous lab work done. The sampling method was purposive and
convenient. Data analysis was performed using SPSS ranging from simple
descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations to multiple
regression.
Results: The authors' findings suggest that patients want
information on and an understanding of their laboratory results.
Demographic variables did not influence the findings.
Conclusion/Implications: Patients reported understanding the
purpose of their tests and the relationships to their conditions would
increase their satisfaction with the health care system. These findings
have important implications for medicine and laboratory science. Medical
costs are rising and 70% of clinical decisions are based on laboratory
tests. Patient's knowledge is essential and could lead to more
support and funding as the demand for laboratory services increase.
Continuing Education Seminar: a Service Learning Project for
Medical Laboratory Science Students
Terese Abreu, MA, MLS(ASCP)[CM], Heritage University, Toppenish, WA
We saw an excellent opportunity for a service learning project in
our isolated rural area, where few continuing education (CE)
opportunities are available for our affiliates and recent graduates. To
address this need, we developed a project that provides students
practical experience in education, research, professional enculturation
and teamwork. Each student researches and presents a topic at a
community CE Day Seminar that is held at the University. Students attend
our state society's Spring CE Seminar for ideas and then work
together to advertise, secure a sponsor, prepare program flyer, provide
lunch and secure P.A.C.E. * approval for their sessions under the
guidance and oversight of the program faculty. MLS students are matched
with graduate student mentors from the College of Education who help
them with the preparation of an engaging lesson. Dress rehearsals are
conducted where students provide feedback to each other regarding the
effectiveness of their presentations. We have presented the CE Day
Seminar for two years. It was well received as indicated by the number
and variety of attendees and their evaluations of the presentations. Our
program is promoted in the community, students receive job offers from
participants and affiliate mentors become energized working with the
students on this project. While the project takes time, student
reflections indicate increased confidence and an overall sense of
achievement. Valued experiences included a better understanding of the
real work involved in the education process, a chance to develop their
public speaking skills, and the enjoyment of networking with the
laboratory community.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Online Medical Laboratory
Technician Program
Kara Hansen-Suchy, MEd, MT(ASCP)SH, Weber State University, Ogden,
UT
The purpose of this research was to analyze the effectiveness of an
online medical laboratory technician program in the academic preparation
of laboratory professionals. A semi-quantitative comparative research
design was used to evaluate several factors. Academic outcomes between
online, campus, and national medical laboratory technician (MLT)
students was determined by comparing overall and categorical scores on
certification exams as well as first time pass rates. Demographic data,
including age and experience were evaluated. Learning styles were
assessed to determine if there was a correlation to grade point average
(GPA) and if learning styles could be used to predict successful
completion of an online Associates of Applied Science. Participants
consisted of online and campus students enrolled in a Medical Laboratory
Technician program that graduated with their Associate of Applied
Science degree between the years 2007-2009. Results of these years were
also compared to graduates from 2004-2006 in the same program. The
researcher found no significant difference in certification performance
with regard to total and categorical scores, and first time pass rates
between campus and online MLT students. Online students were slightly
older and had more experience working in a laboratory in some capacity.
Correlation studies showed significant positive correlation between
learning styles, GPA, and successful completion of an Associate of
Applied Science degree. When certification scores were compared to the
prior cohort of online students, several subcategories demonstrated a
significant improvement using Chi-squared analysis. The conclusion
reached is that the online MLT students were as academically prepared as
their campus counterparts.
How to Construct an Effective Student Course Packet as an
Alternative to PowerPoint printouts
Scott Wright MS, M(ASCP)[CM], Weber State University, Ogden, UT
Keeping students engaged during a lecture is a goal of every
teacher. In most classrooms today, the chalkboard and white board have
been replaced by PowerPoint slides and a laser pointer. Many instructors
provide their students with PowerPoint "dumps" which are
printouts of each PowerPoint slide for the entire semester. The
objective of this presentation is to demonstrate an extremely effective
alternative to the PowerPoint printouts, and one that engages students
more directly during the PowerPoint lectures. The students use course
packets that contain half to two thirds of the content covered on the
PowerPoint slides. The packets are in the format of a Word document that
follows the content of each slide with bullet points that are to be
filled in by the student during lecture. The structure and format of
each page is designed to specifically 1) allow the efficient coverage by
the instructor of large amounts of content and 2) to engage the students
by having them take notes on the missing content in the packet. This
type of approach, in combination with PowerPoint presentations, very
effectively addresses the three basic types of learning styles;
auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.